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'Triumphant' Second Rate
Second Rates are the queens of the seas. They aren't as powerful as First Rates, but their superior maneuverability makes them less vulnerable to fast predators. History Sometimes, names can be deceiving. Such is the case with the Second Rate Ship of the Line — a beast by any other name, carrying a massive armament of 90 to 98 ship-crushing guns in her most familiar guise. Yet her glory is eclipsed both by the grandeur of her larger sisters — the First Rates of 100 guns and more — and her smaller kin, the Third Rates who earned their laurels time and again in the 17th and 18th centuries. Of necessity, the great European fleets that plied the waters of Europe consisted of a mixed force. The First Rates were invariably the flagships of the fleet, reserved for admirals of the highest rank, each monster of a ship representing a huge investment of man and materiel. They were the largest and most heavily armed warships each country could raise, costing significant portion of the national budget and requiring hundreds — eventually, up to a thousand—men to fully man. Such ships were neither to be trifled with, nor wasted carelessly. As a rule, however, the First Rates were lumbering and slow; they would serve primarily as strong points in the line of battle, behind which would huddle the fleet's frigates, ketches, and other ships, standing at the ready to fend off fireships and carry messages to the rest of the fleet. The main fighting force of most navies, however, comprised of the Third Rate Ships of the Line. While still costly, most Third Rates were two-decked ships, and thus in many respects more economical than their much larger sisters. Being two-decked, they were generally more "snug" (low to the water) and thus more weatherly, able to sail closer to the wind than the three-deckers. Yet they were still strong and presented a formidable armament, generally of around 70 guns, firing up to a 36-pound ball in the largest: strong enough to face off broadside-to-broadside against even a First Rate ship and still have a fighting chance. Their merits were plentiful, and many admirals — most famously, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, the mastermind behind Britain's success at Trafalgar in 1805 — thought nostalgically upon the Third Rates they commanded earlier in their careers. Of course, each navy was unique, and defined its ships in its own way. The British Second Rate Ships, on the one hand, were the direct descendents of the "Great Ships" of King James I's reign. Those ships, in turn, evolved from the great early flourishing of war technology, as manifested by the Scottish ship Great Michel of 1510. And as the English rating system evolved not so much to classify ships by size but as an aid to bookkeeping — each rate of ship being alloted a specified number of men, arms, and provisions — for much of the 17th century the line between Second Rate and First Rate was blurred. For example, the Royal James, a 100-gun First Rate built by Sir Anthony Deane in 1675 had a keel length of 132 feet; built just two years later would be the 90-gun Sandwich, designed by master shipwright Betts at Portsmouth, had a keel of 138 feet. While this was partly symptomatic of the growing size of ships throughout the 17th century, it well illustrates that the line between these classes was somewhat arbitrary. France, by contrast, maintained a much clearer separation between the large capital ships and the smaller two-decked workhorses of the fleet. Beginning with the 104-gun Soleil Royal of 1670 and followed soon after with the 112-gun Royal Louis of 1692, France led the way in developing Europe's largest ships. This left a considerable gap between flagship and fleet, as the bulk of the Marine Royale consisted of two-decked ships of between 70-80 guns—particularly after the disastrous Battle of Barfleur, in which practically the entire French fleet was destroyed. Yet this gap was not unfilled; rather, in the French fleet there was a clear place for ships of 90 guns, and they served in much the same ways as their English counterparts, as auxilliaries to the magnificent First Rates. Not all navies were able to field such juggernauts as England and France however. Throughout her history, the Netherlands—great maritime power that she was—was saddled with shallow harbors, putting concrete limits on the size of ships she could build. Though somewhat mitigated by the invention of "camels" in the 1688's (a pair of specially built floats which could be fitted to ships, raising them above otherwise impassable shoals), the Dutch rarely built three-decked ships, and of these none carried more than the 96-gun Amsterdam of 1712. Thus in the Netherlands, the First Rate began at 80 guns—precisely where the Third Rate of other navies left off. Dutch Second Rates were the functional and numeric equivalents of British Third Rates, carrying some 70-78 guns each, exclusively on two decks; in 1685, more than one third of the 50-ship fleet consisted of Second Rates, such as the oft-painted Spiegel (Mirror). However, even in the Netherlands the Second Rates tend to be eclipsed by the fame of their larger sisters such as the Hollandia and the Zeven Provincien (both built in 1665). A similar tale can be told in Sweden and Denmark, even though both countries were more than capable of producing ships to rival the largest French battleships—such as the 126-gun Kronan, pride of the Swedish fleet from 1668 until her tragic demise in 1676. Smaller than the First Rates, less nimble than the Third Rates, the Second Rate Ship of the Line was still one of the most deadly warships of the Age of Sail. Make no mistake—even as a "second rate" alternative to a larger ship, the Second Rate would make a formidable adversary... or valuable ally. Additional information The 'Triumphant' Second Rate is a Colossal Ship of the Line, featuring 92 cannons, in total. Considering this ship has 4 Swivels, 2 Fore guns and 4 Aft guns; this leaves 82 (92-10) cannons on the broadsides. Meaning this ship has 41 cannons on each broadside. The 'Triumphant' Second Rate offers quick reloading cannons. It is able to deal 1599 damage with one broadside, in basic stats and using Round Shots, at 0 yards. The 'Triumphant' has more structure, armor, DR, sails and crew than his counterpart 'Trinity' Second Rate. However, the 'Trinity' Second Rate has more cannons and excellent top speed. Note that the 'Triumphant' Second Rate is Obsolete. This is because the 'Sceptre' Second Rate is actually an upgraded 'Triumphant', or with other words, the next generation. The 'Sceptre' Second Rate has more firepower, structure, armor, defense, crew, acceleration. However, the 'Triumphant' has better top speed. Also, the 'Sceptre' Second Rate is protected against being captured by Pirates, while the 'Triumphant' is not. Besides all of this, the 'Triumphant' has no insurance value. The reason why people still buy the 'Triumphant' is because it is relatively 'cheap' for a Second Rate. Advantages (compared to the 'Trinity' Second Rate): * The 'Triumphant' is more resilient, especially in sails strength. Disadvantages: * 0 insurance value. * The 'Triumphant' has the lowest Spike Power of all Second Rates. * The 'Triumphant' can be captured by Pirates. Comparable Ships *'Wenden' Third Rate. *'Treason' Pirate Flagship. *Obsolete 'Trinity' Second Rate. *Prize Bronze Cannon 'Terror' Pirate Second Rate. *Next generation 'Formidable' Second Rate. *Next generation 'Sceptre' Second Rate. *Obsolete 'Invincible' First Rate. *Obsolete 'Prince' First Rate. Attainability As of 1.26 this ship can no longer be built and as of 2.7.56 durability can no longer be refilled for these ships. The 'Triumphant' Second Rate can be bought for 1450 Burning Sea Points (BSP) in Treasure Aisle (TA). This information is provided by the update that PotBS Wikia is undergoing, by Captain Vuur.